Freight-truck.



R. MCA. LLoY`D.

FREiGHr TRUCK." l APPLICATION FILED SEPT. y12'. 1913.

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Patented Jan. 9,1917.

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Witnesses Robert MSA. Lloyd His oqttorney' A notam rica'. LLOYD, or NEW YORK,

sTATEs PATENT oFFIo N. Y., ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TOl

GENERAL VEHICLE COMPANY, INC., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

FREIGHT-TRUCK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 9., 19t?.

Application filed September 12, 1913. Serial No. 789,563.

' 'adapted for ,use on freight and baggage platforms. In such trucks as heretofore constructed, ithas been common to supply a platform at one or both ends of the truck upon which the operator may ride in standing position. operator are the controlling handles or levers. Generally these controllinghandles are twoin number, one for steering the ve- 20'hicle and the other for operating the-conf troller. Prior to my invention it was commonto mountthe handles in such a way that -they moved in horizontal planes. It has been found; that such a construction is open to serious objection. Standing upright with his hands on the controlling handles the operator is unsupported except las he stands on the platform, unless some additional supporting means are provided. In

i turning corners-@there is a tendency" for the v operator to be .thrown from the platformand a still greater tendency for the movement of his body, even if he is not thrown from the platform, to'operate one or both of the controlling handles, leading vto more or less disastrous, results. To overcome this trouble it has ev been suggested to supply a'wstationaryfresitn tor may lean when standing` on the platform. to The object of my invention is to overcome this difficulty without providing any additional structure. I do this by pivoting the controlling handles in such a way that they move only in vertical planes, locating one controlling` hand@ adjacent each side of the platform, spacing them apart such a distance as to conveniently receive the operators body, and giving them considerable strength in aI horizontal direction.l Preferably the handles are pivoted to an end portion of the frame of the vehicle. Vith such a construction, the `operator may support himself by the handles While standing on the platform and by their aid resist any force tending to throw him from the plat- Located Within reach of the.

against which the operaform Without danger of moving the handles from -the proper positions. It is unnecessary, therefore, to provide any additional rest for the operators body. Furthermore,

lthe handles are always moved against the weight of the operator. With horizontally movable handles the operator often has difficulty in moving the handles when turning vat any considerable speed due to the force tending to throw him from his position. Operators make it a. practice when operating a machine with horizontally movable handles, to slow down as a turn is approached, in order that they may not lose controlen the turn. lVith vertically movable handles, on the other hand, the handles are moved against the constant weight of theA operator, irrespective of `the speed, and

there'is no necessity to reduce the speed at the turn. In practice it has been found that '75 a truck withvertically movable handles covers a considerably greater distance each day than a similar truck with horizontally movable handles, due to the small saving in time at each turning.

In the accompanying drawings which form a part of this specification, I have illustrated one construction involving my invention. i

Figure l is a plan'view of'a truck to 85 which-my invention is applied, partly in section. Fig. 2 is an elevation, vpartly in section, of the same truck.

. Attached to the platform 1 of the truck are the guides 2. Within thesel guides are 9C carried the lportions 3 of the tie member 4. The tie member at its outer ends carries' the aXle spindles of the wheels. @ne K or both pairs of axle-spindles may be mounted on kunckle joints 6 for steering. In the 9 5 construction I- have illustrated thesingle `pair of wheels 5 is mounted'for steering;

each kunckle is provided with an arm 7 the two'arms being joined together by the rod ,8. A shaft 9 is mounted on the frame of the vehicle and carries an armi()- Between the arm 10 and the rod 8 is the connecting rod 11, preferably connected to both the arm 1() and the rod 8 through universal connections. At the opposite end of the vehicle the shaft 9 is provided with another arm,l 12. A rod 13 extends substantially vertically upward from this arm 12 and is pivoted to the steering lever 14. The steering lever 14 is pivoted on a horizontal pivot m0 i to the post 15, the post 15 forminga part of the end structure of the vehicle. This steering lever 14 is located adjacent one side of the operators platform 1G which is earried by the platform 1 of the'vehicle. It will be apparent from this that aS the Steering handle 14 is moved upwardly or down- Wardly the wheels 5 are turned in one direction or the other.

Thewf'ehicle l. have illustrated'is electrically operated. The motor 17 and battery box 18 are carried under the platform 1 in any suitable manner. The controller 18a for the motor is mounted at the operator-s end of the vehicle and may be of any desired construct-ion. This controller is operated by the lever 19 from which extends the substantially vertical rod 20. The rod 20 is pivoted at its upper end to the controller lever 21 which, like the steering lever 14, is pivoted on a horizontal pivot to one of the uprights at the end of the vehicle, and is located adjacent the opposite side of the platform 1G. A spring .22 returns the controller to any desired neutralposition. The-operating levers 14 and 21 are spaced apart a sufficient distance to allow for the reception of the operators body be tween them. It will be seen from this that the controller is also operated by a handle moving in a vertical plane and that any swaying of the operators body, as when rounding a corner, is incapable of moving the operating handles 14 .and 21. Furthermore, the operator may use these handles to steady himself on his platformI and always operates them against his own .constant weight.

Preferably the platform carries a brake lever 23 operating the brakes 24 in 'any desired manner. Preferably, also a circuitf breaker 25 isr located on the underside of the platform 16 and so connected to the brake lever23 as to interrupt the circuit whenever thebrakes are applied. It will be understood from the abovethat the objections to the constructions heretofore common have been overcome by my invention.

My invention is obviouslysubject to numerous modifications. Thev principal feature of my invention, as Will be understood, is providing for the rhvement of at least one controlling handle in a vertical plane in order that the movement to which the operator-s body is subject, is ,ineffective to displace the handle, and in order that the operator may steady hiinself thereby.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

1. The combination in a freight truck, of a platform at one end thereof upon which the operator stands, and an operating lever pivoted to the truck above and to one side of the platform, said lever extending substantially horizontally and being movable up and down to control the truck.

2. The combination in a freight truck, of a platform at one end thereof upon which the operator stands, and ltwo operating levers pivoted to the truck above the platform, one of said levers being at one side and the other at the other side of said platform, said levers extending substantially horizontally and being movable up and down to control the truck. i

3. The combination in a freight truck, of a platform at one end thereof upon which the operator stands, a steering lever pivoted above and at one side of the platform, a. controller lever pivoted above and at the other side of the platform, said levers eX- tending substantially horizontally and being movable up and down to control the truck.

4. The combination in an electric freight truck having a controller and a steering mechanism, of a controller lever pivoted above and at one side of the platform and connected to the controller, a steering lever pivoted above and at the other side of the platform and connected to the steering mechanism, said levers extending substanf tially horizontally and being movable up i and down to control the truck.

In witness whereof, T have hereunto set lmy hand this eighth day of September, 1913.

ROBERT MGA. LLOYD.

Leo C. Foss. 

